Self-supporting paste applicator for wallpaper



B. B. FILLER Aug. 2, 1966 SELF-SUPPORTING PASTE APPLICATOR FOR WALLPAPERFiled Oct. 21, 1964 INVENTOR BEN 5. F/LLE/E BY 25% ATTOENEY UnitedStates Patent 3,263,260 SELF-SUPPORTING PASTE APPLICATGR FQR WALLPAPERBen E. Filler, 3844 Berkeley Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio Filed Oct.21, 1964, Ser. No. 405,437 2 Claims. (Cl. 15230.11)

This invention relates to adhesive applicators, and particularly to adevice for applying wallpaper paste, or other adhesive substances, tosheet materials lying on a horizontal surface.

Conducive to a better understanding of the invention, it may be well topoint out that the usual practice in applying paste to wallpaper, orother sheet-material wall coverings, is to use a large =bristle brushwhich is hand held and manipulated to both apply the paste, and thenwork it into the paper surface by a twisting, sliding motion.

When loaded with paste, such a brush is heavy to hold and in additionthe bristles offer considerable frictional drag on the paper surface asthey are twisted and turned to work the paste into the paper.

The use of such a conventional paste brush takes a great deal of wristand arm strength, and is tiring to the workman, since the bristle brushmust always be supported by the hand.

The primary object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a pasteapplicator that uses rollers to both apply and work the paste in, in aneffortless manner.

Another object is to provide an applicator that is selfsupporting on ahorizontal surface, thus relieving the user from the strain ofconstantly sustaining its weight.

A further object is to provide a device of the type stated, having itshand grip centered directly over the axis of rotation of its roller, andintermediate the ends thereof, whereby, the user may effortlessly rollor twist the applicator, as desired, to properly work in the paste.

These, and other objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the following specification and claims, together with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the wallpaper paste applicator, thatis the subject of this invention, showing it in its paste applyingposition on a sheet of wallpaper supported on a table top;

FIGURE 2 is a right end view of the applicator, taken along the line andin the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of theapplicator, having a single roller.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is seen in FIGURE 1,the wallpaper paste applicator, that is the subject of this invention,broadly indicated by reference numeral 10, positioned on top of a sheetof wallpaper 12 spread out on a conventional paperhangers table 11 in ahorizontal plane, as it appears being used to apply paste to the backface of the wallpaper 12.

The applicator has a frame formed of wire bent to provide a horizontalsaddle 25 having spaced and parallel depending arms 23 and 24 which arebent at their lower ends laterally of the saddle and at 90 thereto todefine two spaced and parallel horizontal sections 21 and 22 which arebent downward at their far ends, 90, to define two vertical spaced andparallel sections 19 and 20, which are in turn bent inward, in parallelspaced'relation to the upper horizontal sections 21 and 22 to define twospaced and parallel axles, or roller shafts, 17 and 18.

Each roller shaft has a roller cage, or spindle journalled thereonthrough freely rotatable end bearings 16, as is seen most clearly inFIGURE 2.

Each roller spindle 15 has a replaceable roller sleeve 13 and 14 mountedthereon, as seen in FIGURE 1.

The sleeves 13 and 14 are covered with a suitable material such as lambswool, having a high degree of resiliency, to provide a resilient pasteretaining and distributing surface for the roller.

The roller assembly is similar to that used with paint applicators andno novelty is claimed for the rollers 13 and 14, as such.

Reference numeral 27 indicates a hand grip which is mounted on thesaddle 25 between the dependent arms 23 and 24.

The hand grip 27 is positioned directly above the rollers 13 and 14 andbetween the center points of the axles 17 and 18. r

A second hand grip 28 is mounted on the saddle in alignment with thefirst hand grip 27. Hand grip 28 extends outwardly from a pointimmediately above the center of the axle 18 and its supported roller 14.

Reference numeral 26 indicates a turn-buckle mounted between the saddlearms 23 and 24.

The rollers 13 and 14 are normally spaced apart, so that they are freeto rotate independently of each other on their respective shafts 17 and18.

However, by tightening the turn-buckle 2d the arms 23 and 24, and theirassociated roller axles 17 and 18 can be drawn toward each other untilthe rollers 13 and 14 contact each other firmly, to prevent rotation ontheir axles 17 and 18, thereby creating a wide stationary surface whichcan be used to work the paste into the wallpaper 12, more effectively.

In use, the applicator 10 is lifted by its handle 28 and the rollers 13and 14 dipped into liquid paste until they are saturated with the paste.

The applicator is then removed from the paste and placed on thewallpaper 12, as seen in FIGURE 1, and moved back and forth thereon, sothat the paste is transferred from the rollers to the wallpaper.

Then, by grasping the hand grip 27, between the saddle arms 23 and 24,effective control is had for twisting, turning or sliding the rollers 13and 14, to work the paste into the wallpaper in the manner of aconventional bristle paste brush.

However, it will be noted that the entire weight or" the applicator It}is born by the rollers 13 and 14, even if the hand grip 27 or handle 28are released.

Thus, the workman is relieved of the necessity of constantly supportingthe applicator during the pasting operation.

All the workman has to do is to guide the rollers along the paper toapply the paste and then bear down on the hand grip 27 to impart thenecessary twisting motion required to work the paste properly into thewallpaper.

This is relatively easy to do since the position of the hand grip 27over the exact center of the rollers 13 and 14 gives precise balancedcontrol in swiveling the rollers in a circle, having the handgrip 27 asits center.

All the workman has to do is press down on the ap plicator, as he worksthe rollers about, thus, there is no tiring of the wrist and arm, as isthe case where the entire weight has to be lifted each time the motionof the conventional paste brush is changed.

If a wider sweeping action is desired, the rollers 13 and 14 may beirnmoveably combined to operate as a single wiping surface, by drawingup the turn-buckle 26, as explained hereinabove.

An alternate form of applicator, broadly indicated by reference numeral30, is illustrated in FIGURE 3.

In this form there is only one roller 36 journalled on shaft 31 of aunitary wire frame bent to provide an upright} section 32 at one end ofthe roller shaft 31; a horizontal section 33 at the upper end of section32, ex-

tending inwardly above the roller shaft 31, in spaced parallel relationthereto; a handle section 34 extending laterally of the end of section33, at 90 to both sections 32 and 33, from a point directly over thecenter of the longitudinal axis of the shaft 31.

Reference numeral 35 indicates a hand grip, or handle, mounted onsection 34, with its inner end positioned immediately against thehorizontal section 33, at a point above the center of the paste roller36.

This position of the hand grip 35 insures easy and precise control ofthe roller in movements either longitudinally of the wallpaper strip 12,or during working in motions, wherein the roller is given a twisting, orcombined sliding and rolling motion.

It is of course to be understood that the rollers 13, 14 or 36 may bemade in any length suitable for the use to which they are to be put. Theaverage length being between 7 to 9".

While the applicator has been illustrated as used for applying paste toWallpaper supported on a table top,

it is to be understood that it may be used to apply adhesives to anyhorizontal surface, such as a floor.

In any case, the weight of the applicator is supported by its rollersand does not require any effort on the part of the workman to hold it inits working position.

With this device, paste may be quickly worked in with an easy,non-tiring, sliding, twisting, or rolling motion, entirely without thefrictional drag encountered with a bristle brush.

It will now be clear that there has been provided a device whichaccomplishes the objective heretofore set forth. While the invention hasbeen disclosed in a preferred and alternate form, it is to be understoodthat the specific embodiments thereof, as described and illustratedherein, are not to be considered in a limited sense, as there may beother forms of modifications of the invention which should also beconstrued to come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A wallpaper paste applicator, comprising in combination, a wire framebent to define a saddle having dependent, spaced and parallel arms, atits ends, which in turn are bent at their lower ends, laterallytherefrom at 90 thereto, to define two spaced and parallel horizontalsections which, in turn, are bent both downwardly and then inwardly at90 to define two spaced and parallel roller supporting shafts, with thesaddle positioned thereabove and centered between the midpoints of thelongitudinal axes of the shafts; a fibrous roller journaled on eachshaft, in normally, spaced, parallel and freely revolving relation,having a high degree of resiliency to provide a resilient pasteretaining and distributing surface; a first hand grip mounted on thesaddle, between the dependent arms; and, a second hand grip mounted onthe saddle in alignment with the first hand grip, extending outwardlytherefrom at 90 to both the saddle arms and the roller axes. I

2. A wallpaper paste applicator, as in claim 1, having adjusting meansmounted between the dependent saddle arms, adapted to move the dependentarms between a first position, wherein the shafts, and the rollersjournaled thereon, are spaced apart to permit free rotation of therollers, and, a second position, wherein the shafts are moved toward oneanother, to press the rollers journaled thereon into peripheral contact,in which position the rollers are immobilized.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 186,288 1/1877Farrington 12026 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,057,641 10/1953 France.

18,150 of 1891 Great Britain. 11,224 of 1906 Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

1. A WALLPAPER PASTE APPLICATOR, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A WIRE FRAMEBENT TO DEFINE A SADDLE HAVING DEPENDENT, SPACED AND PARALLEL ARMS, ATITS ENDS, WHICH IN TURN ARE BENT AT THEIR LOWER ENDS, LATERALLYTHEREFROM AT 90* THERETO, TO DEFINE TWO SPACED AND PARALLEL HORIZONTALSECTIONS WHICH, IN TURN, ARE BENT BOTH DOWNWARDLY AND THEN INWARDLY AT90* TO DEFINE TWO SPACED AND PARALLEL ROLLER SUPPORTING SHAFTS, WITH THESADDLE POSITIONED THEREABOVE AND CENTERED BETWEEN THE MIDPOINTS OF THELONGITUDINAL AXES OF THE SHAFTS; A FIBROUS ROLLER JOURNALED ON EACHSHAFT, IN NORMALLY, SPACED, PARALLEL AND FREELY REVOLVING RELATION,HAVING A HIGH DEGREE OF RESILIENCY TO PROVIDE A RESILIENT PASTERETAINING AND DISTRIBUTING SURFACE; A FIRST HAND GRIP MOUNTED ON THESADDLE, BETWEEN THE DEPENDENT ARMS; AND, A SECOND HAND GRIP MOUNTED ONTHE SADDLE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE FIRST HAND GRIP, EXTENDING OUTWARDLYTHEREFROM AT 90* TO BOTH THE SADDLE ARMS AND THE ROLLER AXIS.